NIU president offers options for Cole Hall future

Tuesday

Apr 29, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Northern Illinois University President John Peters said Monday that most students and faculty want Cole Hall to remain standing despite the Feb. 14 killings that took place in one of the building’s two auditoriums.

Northern Illinois University President John Peters said Monday that most students and faculty want Cole Hall to remain standing despite the Feb. 14 killings that took place in one of the building’s two auditoriums.

“Why tear something down that still has use?” said senior Brandon Edwards of Byron. “They’re going to update it and make it useful. That’s probably the most logical thing to do.”

Peters offered three options for reopening the facility:

Renovate both auditoriums for continued use as lecture halls but with significant changes in appearance, feel and function.

Renovate one of the lecture halls, called Room 100, for continued use as a large auditorium, while remodeling Room 101 — the site of the shootings — to support nonclassroom activities.

Renovate both auditoriums to support nonclassroom activities.

Peters said if the second or third options were chosen, the university would require additional large lecture space somewhere on campus. No changes would be made to the lower level or basement area, he said.

All the options would take about two years to implement. Peters said if state funding is obtained this year, reopening of a renovated Cole Hall could occur in fall 2010.

Monday’s announcement was a sharp reversal of a Feb. 27 news conference in which Peters, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and several state lawmakers announced a proposal to demolish the building and replace it elsewhere on campus for $40 million. But that plan stalled when students and taxpayers said tearing down the building was financially irresponsible.

Peters said options for the lecture hall were developed after more than 5,000 individuals on campus offered their opinions through e-mails, forums, small-group meetings, an online survey and “many one-on-one conversations with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and families of those most affected by the events.”

“I can’t remember talking to anyone who wants it torn town,” said senior Sean Jensen of Deerfield. He said he favors renovating the room where the shootings happened, while keeping the building standing.

Those in favor of keeping Cole Hall standing were between 3-to-1 to 4-to-1, Peters said. At the same time, however, he said most people said they would be uncomfortable taking classes or teaching there in its current configuration.

“I didn’t care what happened to the building as long as the majority of the students and staff had their voice heard,” Edwards said. “NIU handled the situation perfectly in that they listened to anyone that had an opinion and tried to come up with a good solution.”

Peters said the designation of an area as nonclassroom use could mean museum space, a student lounge, a computer lab, office space, conference rooms and others.

The future of Cole Hall has been the subject of emotional debate since Feb. 14, when Steven Kazmierczak, 27, opened fire using during a geology class. Kazmierczak killed five students before committing suicide on the lecture stage.